For Mount Union College senior Jarrod Cole, an international scholarship seemed almost out of reach.

April 07, 2010

This semester it became a reality.

Cole, a sport management major from Pickerington, has been awarded with a Congress-Bundestag Scholarship/Internship for 2005-2006. The award consists of four to six months of intensive language training in Germany, followed by advanced schooling in his respective field of study and then a four to six month internship in Germany.

' I didn't expect to receive it [the scholarship/internship] due to the language barrier,' said Cole. 'The candidate I interviewed with knew how to speak German pretty well. I was in shock.'

Cole is one of 75 students to receive this scholarship out of nearly 2,000 that applied across the nation. The program, which is open to students ages 19 to 23, is professionally-oriented and primarily focused on building careers within a variety of disciplines.

'I look forward to working in the sports industry in Germany, experiencing a different culture and learning how to develop sport business in another country,' said Cole.

Cole said he feels the German culture classes he took while at Mount Union will help him the most because it has given him a basic understand of the atmosphere.

While in Germany, Cole will be touring the country, making stops in such cities as Frankfurt and Berlin. He will also be meeting with German government officials and the ambassador to the United States.

A significant part of Cole's internship is country relations. He will be responsible for corresponding with congressmen in the United States, giving regular written reports on his progress within the program.

' I hope to gain from this internship a global appreciation and experience in sports internationally,' said Cole.